1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an apparatus for comminuting pourable feedstock.
2. Description of the Background Art
Apparatuses of this type are associated with the field of mechanical process engineering and function to convert source materials into intermediate and end products of a predetermined shape and size. The goal of the conversion process here is to obtain a product that is as uniform as possible within narrow tolerances in terms of shape and size. This is achieved, inter alia, by disposing a screen downstream from the comminution zone, the screen through fraction of which meets the requirements for the product within specified tolerances.
DE 10 2006 036 738 A1 discloses a cutting mill comprising a rotor, the rotor tools of which interact with stator tools that are disposed in stationary fashion on the mill housing so as to comminute the feedstock. The lower peripheral section of the rotor is surrounded by a screen, while the upper section functions to deliver the feedstock. Below the screen, the housing transitions into a suction bin, the funnel-shaped peripheral walls of which conduct the comminuted product to the bottom of the bin where it is discharged from the apparatus in the air flow through a suction line. The disadvantage of this apparatus is found in the suction bin that is disposed in the form of an independent component below the housing, thereby necessarily requiring a large machine height and thus necessitating a corresponding amount of space at the operating location. This type of machine design has also proven disadvantageous in terms of the accessibility of the rotor or to the perforated metal sheets of the screen, since the suction bin has to be removed first, followed by the screens, in order to access the interior of the machine—and this is found to be a very labor-intensive and time-intensive process. The economic efficiency of these cutting mills thus suffers significantly due to the extended downtimes caused thereby.
EP 1 371 420 A1 discloses a swivel drive for a screen in order to reduce the time-intensive labor component, the drive using hydraulic cylinder-piston units to move the screens downward about a horizontal swivel axis at the top longitudinal edge of the screen frame. This significantly simplifies the removal of the screen; it presupposes, however, that there is sufficient space in the downward direction to effect the swivel motion. If additional functional components have been provided—for example, a suction bin that necessarily must be positioned below the screen—this space is no longer available unless the overall height of the apparatus is increased considerably. In addition, the action of swiveling up the screen through the rotor-proximate positioning of the swivel axis results in a tight, spandrel-shaped space created by the screen and rotor, which space significantly impedes accessibility to the rotor in this region.